-22-
"Ryou."
"Bakura! I'm really glad you called!"
Bakura had no interest in idle chatter. He decided to just admit right off why he was calling. "I'm...having a problem."
"Do you need help?" Ryou asked quickly. "Remember I told you to call me if you noticed anything weird going on there. Have you noticed anything weird?"
"Yeah, actually. Um...how…" But Bakura decided it didn't matter how he knew. He just wanted to get this over with. "Malik is gone, and I don't know where he is."
"What?" Ryou said sharply. "Malik isn't there with you in the...apartment?"
"No. I just said that."
Ryou took a breath. "Bakura, has…has Malik ever gone outside before? Have you ever been alone in the apartment without Malik?"
"Of course," Bakura said. He thought that was an odd question for Ryou to ask.
"Are you sure? You've definitely been alone in the apartment before this?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Bakura said irritably. "I've been alone in the apartment lots of times. In fact, Malik is out so much I actually thought he had a job, but...well, today, he told me he's never had a job, so…"
"Oh...oh," Ryou said. "So the other times he's gone out...he's come back?"
"Well of course he comes back," Bakura said. "Why wouldn't he? But I don't understand why you're asking about him just going out. The issue is that he's gone right now when he...shouldn't be."
"And when should he be gone?"
"Well, when—" Bakura broke off. He was going to say it was normal for Malik to be gone when he was at work, but...that wasn't true. Malik didn't have a job.
How often had Malik ever actually told him he was leaving? He suddenly realized the answer was never. Malik was gone often, but never told Bakura that he was leaving, or told him where he was going. And Malik wouldn't leave without telling him...at least, not voluntarily.
"Oh, gods," Bakura said under his breath. He felt like ice was spreading through his veins.
"But, Bakura," Ryou said, "the important thing is he's always come back, right? And he's fine when he comes back, isn't he? So it shouldn't be any different this time."
"Well...sometimes when he comes back he has cuts...bruises…" Bakura trailed off. He felt dazed, barely aware he was speaking.
"But no serious injuries," Ryou said. "So I don't think it's possible for him to be seriously hurt, or kept away from you permanently. If it were, they—it already would have happened by now."
"What...what are you talking about?" Bakura asked. This conversation with Ryou was making him feel even crazier than he had earlier, before he'd decided to call.
Ryou sighed. "I wish I could just tell you the truth, but…"
"Wait, what? Ryou, do you know something?" Bakura demanded.
"I do," Ryou said. "But I can't tell you."
"What the fuck? You'd better tell me—"
"Believe me, I want to!" Ryou exclaimed. "But I mean I literally can't. You know how you guys are always saying you get terrible reception? Every time someone tries to tell you guys—me, Rishid, Ishizu—we get cut off by a bunch of static. Every time."
"What do you mean?" asked Bakura.
"I mean the static always happening at those exact moments is not a coincidence," Ryou stated.
"Are you saying there's some kind of mystical force preventing you from telling me?" Bakura asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Well...then what the fuck am I supposed to do? Are you saying you can't help me?"
"Well...I don't know exactly how much I can say without the static cutting me off...but what if I tried to help you figure it out yourself?" Ryou suggested. "Hopefully, now that you're aware something is going on, you'll be more receptive to...hints."
"What kind of hints?" Bakura asked. "I don't have time for games, Ryou."
"This definitely isn't a game," Ryou said. "Just listen...and think about what I say, and the questions I ask you."
"Alright, fine. I guess I can't think of anything better to try."
"Alright." Ryou paused, seeming to think for a moment. "Bakura...where do you think you live?"
"With Malik in our apartment, of course," Bakura answered.
"No, I mean...what country do you live in?"
"Well, we—" Bakura broke off. He suddenly realized he didn't know. It seemed absurd now that Ryou had made him think about it, but somehow, it had just...never occurred to him to wonder where they lived. "Alright, I don't know. What the fuck does that mean, then?"
The realization that he didn't even know where the hell they lived shook Bakura, but he didn't have time to dwell on it before Ryou spoke again.
"Hm," Ryou said, seeming to think again. "Bakura, what happened after the final game?"
"I lost...obviously," Bakura said icily.
"But after that."
"Well...I got sent to the Shadow Realm, of course. But I...really prefer not to think about that. I have enough nightmares about it."
"I understand that, but...Bakura, this is important. How did you get out?"
"Malik came and got me out," Bakura said. "You know that."
"Yes, Malik came to get you...but what exactly happened when he found you?" Ryou asked. "Do you remember?"
"Does it matter?" Bakura snapped. "I told you I don't like thinking about my time in the Shadows."
"Bakura, you do want me to help you figure out where Malik is, don't you?"
"Of course. I certainly wouldn't call you just to chat."
"Then can you please just trust that if I'm asking you something, it's important?" Ryou said, sounding desperate. "You know me, Bakura. Do you honestly think I'd force you to think about your time in the Shadows just for the fun of it?"
"Fine, fine," Bakura said. "As a matter of fact, I do remember what happened when he found me. I remember the moment he showed up. He was the only light in that whole hellscape of darkness."
Bakura blinked, suddenly unsure as to why he'd said that. The image that had popped into his mind had been of himself being tortured by a demon in the darkness and then seeing someone glowing with light and sensing it was Malik's soul even before seeing his face. But that had just been a dream he'd had...hadn't it?
"Yes, Bakura, Malik came to the Shadow Realm and found you. But do you remember what happened after that? How did Malik try to get you two back out?"
"Well, we—" Bakura stumbled. "I—I don't remember."
"Don't you think that's the kind of thing you should remember?" Ryou asked gently. When Bakura said nothing, Ryou said, "Alright, let's start at the beginning. What happened right after you first saw Malik in the Shadow Realm?"
"Wait...let me think," Bakura said. He tried to think back to the dream he'd had. Was it a dream, or a memory? What had happened after Malik had come? His mind was suddenly hit with a scene of himself and Malik holding each other, both of them bloody and broken, clutching at each other in the darkness. "The demons...the demons hurt us," Bakura said slowly.
He heard Ryou sigh with sympathy. "And then?" Ryou asked quietly.
"I don't…" Bakura shook his head. He tried to replay the dream in his mind, but he was only getting flashes of images—Malik with his back being clawed open...Malik trying to pull Bakura along through the darkness….
Bakura suddenly realized he'd had that same nightmare a hundred times before. So why was it so difficult to remember what had happened in it?
And why was he trying so hard to remember a nightmare, anyways? He usually tried to forget his nightmares. But then...if that had been just a dream...what did actually happen when Malik came and found him in the Shadow Realm? Ryou was right...that didn't seem like the type of thing he'd forget.
Was he having the dream over and over because some part of him was trying to remember?
"I...I'm confused." Bakura barely realized he'd spoken out loud.
"Bakura," Ryou said softly. "I don't know if I'll be able to say this…but let me try. After Malik found you in the Shadow Realm, do you remember you and Malik ever leaving?"
Suddenly, at Ryou's words, every moment of the nightmare came back to him full force. The torture, the pain...the deal the demon had tried to make with Malik, and then with Bakura...trying to get them to leave each other, trying to convince each of them in turn to leave the other behind.
But they'd both refused.
They'd promised to stay with each other, even if it meant...
Bakura had been silent for more than a minute by then as the dream replayed inside his mind. Ryou hadn't said anything either, apparently waiting for Bakura's answer.
"Oh...oh, gods," Bakura finally said, the cold realization spreading through him. "You're...you're trying to say we never left. We're still in the Shadow Realm."
"Yes," Ryou said, the relief evident in his voice. "Now Bakura—don't panic!"
"Wait, wait," Bakura cut him off. "That doesn't make any sense. I—I mean, obviously, we must have left! I'm in our apartment right now! I can see it! We have...a stove, and a shower, and a TV, and a Nintendo Switch...are you telling me the Shadow Realm has Nintendo?"
"Bakura...when was the last time you were outside of the apartment?"
"I don't—" Bakura broke off as he suddenly remembered a different dream he'd had a while ago, the one where he'd been arguing with a dream version of Malik and Malik had asked him the same question. He hadn't been able to remember the last time he'd left the apartment then, either.
"No, no," Bakura muttered to himself. "That was just a dream. They were all just nightmares. It doesn't mean anything." His mind grasped for any other explanation, any way for what Ryou was saying to be wrong.
He could feel himself starting to panic.
But Ryou went on.
"You haven't ever left the apartment," Ryou said.
"I haven't ever left," Bakura echoed, dazed, as he realized the truth in Ryou's words. The more he thought about it, the more he knew it was true. He couldn't remember a single time he'd been outside of the apartment. He'd always made excuses for why he didn't want to go out.
And why? Sure, he was tired lately. And sure, he didn't like people and often preferred to stay home. But to never go out? To never be willing to go out with Malik, or visit Ryou, or...anything? He could no longer make sense of why it had seemed rational to him at the time to refuse to leave the apartment for any reason. Thinking back on it now, it almost seemed as if there was some kind of...force...compelling him to stay inside.
"Because it's not really an apartment," Ryou said, breaking into his thoughts. "And you can't leave, because outside is…I don't know if I can say it, but maybe, now that you've figured it out yourself, I can say...outside is the Shadows."
"What the fuck do you mean, it's not really an apartment?" Bakura shrieked, panic flaring in his chest at Ryou's statement. "What the hell else could it be?"
"Well, I can't really be sure, but I believe it's some form of magical construct created by your and Malik's powers combined," Ryou said. "You and Malik are both capable of using magic, and I believe you each have a strong ka...maybe, with two such powerful souls being in close proximity, it's allowed your magic to combine to create something that's protecting you from the Shadows. I've been doing a lot of research on this, and—"
"Oh, that's your theory, is it?" Bakura snapped.
"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away. You know how I get about the occult and the supernatural."
"You're...you're fucking kidding me," Bakura said in disbelief. Bakura's voice rose again as he yelled, "Is this fun to you?"
"No, no...look, Bakura, I've been researching this because I'm trying to get you two out of there. And I think I can. I understand how upsetting this must be, but if you could just manage to calm down, you'd realize there's a solution here—"
"Calm down?" Bakura screamed. "You're telling me Malik and I never left the Shadow Realm and you want me to calm down? Hell, I'm not even sure if I believe anything you're saying!"
"Bakura, listen...can you think of any other explanation for all the things I've brought to your attention?" Ryou asked. "And do you honestly think I'd lie to you about something like this?"
Bakura suddenly felt all the rage drain out of him at Ryou's words.
It was an awful feeling. As long as he just let himself be consumed by anger, he could avoid thinking about…
But it was no use. He couldn't deny it to himself—Ryou wouldn't lie to him about something like this.
"Maybe...maybe I'm still dreaming right now," Bakura said weakly. It was the only other explanation he could come up with.
"I think you know the truth now," Ryou said quietly.
Bakura was silent for several moments. Then he collapsed heavily on the couch with a loud, "Fuck!"
"Are you alright?" Ryou asked.
"No, I'm not fucking alright! I'm in the fucking Shadow Realm!"
"Like I said, don't panic!" Ryou said quickly. "We've been working on getting you out. Rishid, Ishizu and I."
"Little miss tight-ass religious fanatic is working on getting me out?" Bakura asked, finding it easier to focus on that bit of weirdness than to focus on the horror of his recent realization about where he and Malik really were.
"Ishizu knows Malik won't leave without you, so yes."
"Malik," Bakura gasped as a realization hit him. "So if Malik isn't in the apartment—the magical construct, apparently—right now...that means he's outside in the Shadows? With the demons?"
Ryou swallowed audibly. "Yes, but...he's always come back before, right? I don't believe there's any magic in the universe that could keep you completely safe in the Shadow Realm, so maybe sometimes he gets pulled out into the Shadows—that must be where he is every time you're in the magical construct alone. But obviously your combined magic is strong enough that you're always brought back to each other, to the safety of the construct."
"Yeah...yeah, he's always come back before," Bakura repeated Ryou's words to himself. Then he said, "Wait...so if I'm in the Shadow Realm, how the hell am I even talking to you?"
"I managed to come up with a spell to allow communication. But that's really not important right now," Ryou said. "Listen, Bakura. We've actually already nearly figured out a way to get you two out. It might be a little dangerous, but...you know what, that's not important right now either. But you two will need to cast a spell from in there first in order for it to work. Obviously, it was impossible to ask you to do it before, when we couldn't even get you to realize where you were."
Bakura suddenly felt a sharp tug on his leg and looked down.
"Uh...Ryou…" Bakura saw darkness swirling at his feet. "I think I'm about to be forced to hang up. I hope to the gods I can call you back later."
-23-
Bakura barely blinked, and then he was in the darkness again, a large demon pacing back and forth in front of him.
"So," the demon hissed, its long tongue lolling out of its mouth, "you now know where you truly are."
Bakura swallowed. "The Shadows."
"It is unfortunate," the demon rasped. "So much work we did to keep you from finding out, and then one little lapse...we normally would have cut off your communication with that nuisance from the mortal world, you know. That conversation should have dissolved into interference moments after it started. But we were so busy playing with your lover, we didn't even notice that you'd made contact with the mortal. Your...partner, do you call him?...is quite distracting. His cries are delicious."
Bakura stared, eyes wide, breathing heavy. He felt unable to move or speak, or even think. He could feel himself shaking.
"Oh, save the drama." The demon flicked its barbed tail dismissively. "By now you are aware we will be forced to return him to you soon, only a bit worse for wear. Your damn power...that light magic...but trust me, we will find a way to break it soon, and then you shall both be ours."
Bakura actually settled down at that, at the reminder that Malik would be alright and would be back with him soon. He knew demons didn't always tell the truth, but Ryou had said the same thing. And Malik had always come back before.
He realized he needed to get himself together, needed to keep his wits about him now that he was face to face with a demon. He thought back to how he'd handled his battles when he'd been fighting for his vengeance, tried to capture that feeling again, and an eerie sense of calm spread throughout him. "You can't break our power," he said, voice steady and confident. "It comes from our inherent magical abilities, our kas—you can't take that away. It's impossible."
"Is that what you think?" The demon scoffed. "You believe you or he has some form of especially great magical ability, inherent within your soul? You believe your kas are stronger than the ka of any other random human? So arrogant."
"We've proven that it's true. You just admitted you have to return him to me." Bakura smirked. "Does it make you feel weak? To know our magical abilities surpass yours?"
The demon roared, showing its teeth. "You conceited little vermin. That is not why we must return him."
"Enlighten me, then." Bakura crossed his arms. Bakura wasn't sure why the demon wanted to talk instead of torture him like usual, but he wasn't going to complain. Maybe he could get some useful information out of it.
"I've told you before. Do you not remember?" The demon continued to pace in front of him. "Oh, of course you don't. Your fragile minds, so weak and bendable...I could make you forget this meeting as well, if I so chose."
"And will you?"
The demon huffed. "There is little point. Unfortunately, I cannot erase the knowledge you now possess that you are in the Shadows. You were inside the unbreached...apartment, you call it?...when you gained that knowledge. Out here in the Shadows, I can force you to forget or remember anything I like...but in there…if we are not there with you..." The demon shook its large, horned head. "True, even while inside we can bend your minds a bit to keep you from pondering too much on certain matters, to create certain subtle aversions in you...but we cannot erase your memory of events that happened within it."
"And you claim our magic isn't so powerful," Bakura chortled. "Our magic created that apartment, and look how hamstrung you are by it."
"I did not say your magic was not powerful. I said it did not come about because of any particularly strong inherent magical ability either of you possess."
"So, do you want to tell me where our magic comes from, or do you want to keep talking in circles? Maybe we should just get on with the usual torture."
"Insolent," the demon scoffed. "I shall tell you, because I want you to realize how precarious your position here is. You are correct that no being could take away inherent magical ability. If that were where your power came from, I would be worried. But your power is something far more fragile than that...something we can break if only given enough time. And we have forever."
"Damn, were my evil speeches this boring back when I was stuck with Zorc?"
The demon bared its teeth at him, snarling, but did nothing further.
"You know," Bakura said, "I don't even think you do have the power to make me forget things, even when I am out here in the Shadows. I remember you. We've met many times before, haven't we?"
"Oh, yes, I had forgotten...you are the more difficult one, are you not?" The demon flexed its claws. "So easy to bury memories for your lover, keep them locked inside his mind where he can't reach...but with you, we must merely scramble things a bit, and cause you to believe our meetings were but a dream."
"But now I know they weren't just dreams. You can't take that knowledge from me either, can you?"
"It matters not." The demon widened its jaws, as if yawning. Then, after a moment it said, sounding curious, "Why do you let him fuck you so much? Is it because you fear he will get bored of you otherwise?"
Bakura blinked at the strange non sequitur. "That was an...odd thing to say."
"Forgive me. I am admittedly bored myself. You know, back before your lover came here, we had so much fun with you. We could rip out organs...break bones...but now…" The demon huffed out a sigh. "Now, a few scratches and bruises, a bit of psychological trauma...we can go no further. Not until we break your power, that is."
"You can't even really hurt us." Bakura gave the demon a smug look. "That's how great our power is."
"Yes," the demon growled. "The few things we can subject you to are getting a bit stale. So I thought I might make conversation."
"Well, it's not a very interesting conversation. You know, maybe you should get into playing Duel Monsters. Zorc liked it, so you might too. Then we could talk about that."
"Are you truly so confident as to mock me?" the demon asked with a snarl.
"Yep." Bakura smirked.
"Well, you are foolish, then," the demon said. "Your lover will tire of you eventually, you know. He won't always want you, and then...you shall be ours."
Bakura creased his brow in thought. The demon was trying to say that Malik wanting him was what was keeping him from belonging to the demons?
Suddenly, an image sprung into Bakura's mind as he was reminded of the time when the demon had been wearing Malik's face. He'd thought it was only a dream before, but now he knew the truth. And he remembered now what the demon had said.
Your love can't protect the two of you from me forever! I'll find a way to break it!
Bakura gasped in realization. "It's not our inherent magical abilities! It's our—our, um, bond. Bond with each other."
The demon roared in utter rage. "How? How have we been so hindered by this disgusting thing between you two when you won't even name it, won't even speak it aloud?"
Bakura really couldn't help laughing. But even as he descended into hysterics, his mind was racing. It made sense. He finally remembered the very end of the dream—memory—of Malik coming for him in the Shadow Realm. After they'd refused to abandon each other, promised to stay with each other even if it meant both of them being trapped in the Shadows...they had kissed...and that kiss had somehow transported them to their apartment.
Their bond, their partnership, their dedication to each other, their protection of each other...that was what was really protecting them from the Shadows.
And somehow, it was like he'd always known.
He laughed harder. That was what the demon thought it could break?
"Laugh now," roared the demon. "He will discard you eventually. Does it not make you afraid? That your only protection from us is something as fleeting and changeable as a human emotion?"
"No," Bakura said honestly. He'd never been worried about losing Malik's affections. He only worried about losing Malik to death, like his family, like everyone else he ever cared about or even knew when he was a child. But, he thought to himself sardonically, he supposed since he and Malik were both already dead and still together, he could really quit worrying about that as well.
"You truly are a fool," the demon said. "Do you not realize that once he no longer loves you, you will belong to us forever?"
"Yeah, yeah," Bakura said. "I know."
"Is that why you let him use your holes so often?" The demon swung around to look at him with its sickly yellow eyes. "Do you assume as long as you allow him to make you his bitch, he will not get sick of you?"
"Wow. Your psychological torture game is really slipping, here," Bakura said. "You're terrible at this."
The demon snorted. "Just try it, then. Humor me. Try not allowing him to fuck you for a while, and see how quickly he loses interest."
Bakura's eyebrows drew together in thought. Why did it seem like the demon was trying to get them to stop having sex? Why did it care?
Bakura gasped as he realized something.
Every time they made love...the bright light, the pulsing that looked like heka, the way the walls seemed to get more solid...it was heka. It hadn't been his imagination. It was their magic. Their magic protecting them, strengthening the construct.
But then, it wasn't only when they had sex. He remembered seeing the heka sometimes when they were just close, sometimes when they talked, even sometimes when they bickered. But always when they had sex. It seemed to be the most reliable method of creating it.
But he didn't want the demon to know that he knew that. "Alright, fine. I'll stop having sex with him just to prove you wrong," he lied.
"Then you'll see," the demon said. "And you know, if you do sense he is tiring of you...you can always strike first. The offer I made to you when your lover first arrived remains open. Do you remember? Agree to leave him here, give him to me, and you can go free. I suggest you take advantage of this generous offer. There is no other way out for you."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Bakura said sarcastically.
Suddenly the demon's paw darted out, talons extended. Bakura flinched back instinctively, but the claws didn't touch his skin. Instead, a single claw sliced through the cord around his neck, sending the moon-shaped necklace Malik had made him flying, and in one quick motion the demon snatched it out of the air.
The demon dangled it in front of him, out of his reach. "Do you want it?"
"You can keep it." Bakura shrugged. "It's just a thing. He'll make me another one."
The demon hissed at him. "Your love is revolting." The demon almost sounded like it was retching.
"Thanks?"
The demon snarled and whipped the necklace back towards him, but high over his head so that it flew far away out into the darkness, lost to the Shadows now.
Bakura watched it go with a slight sense of melancholy, but the feeling was quickly gone. It really was just a thing, and Malik would make him another, if he wanted one. Bakura crossed his arms over his chest and gave the demon a bored look. "And what did that accomplish?"
"Truly so confident," the demon huffed. "You know, when you're mine again, it will be so much fun to say I told you so while I'm ripping out your intestines. Drinking in your agony along with your blood, tasting the pain born of your knowledge that your lover has abandoned you to us...it will be ecstasy." The demon's body quivered as if in anticipation.
"Uh-huh. Look, can I go home now? I mean...back to the apartment. The construct. You're not allowed to keep either of us for too long, are you?"
"Very well. Our time is nearly up. We do have a bit more, but...I think I will send you back alone, and go find my associate who is currently playing with your lover, and join in for a bit before we must return him to you. You can wait for him, and think about what we are subjecting him to as you do."
Bakura felt a spear of fear and pain pierce through him for the first time in a while. But he tried to remind himself that the demons couldn't really hurt Malik. His magic, their magic, was protecting him.
But still...what he was going through right now…
The demon laughed at him, the sound raspy and mocking. "Oh, and one more thing. I wouldn't inform him of the truth of where you really are. You remember our interference with your mortal friend in the living realm...well, we are unable to do any direct harm to him because he is not in the Shadows. But your lover is here...so if you were to try to tell him, we could do something to him that is far more unpleasant than what you call static in order to stop that from happening."
A split second later the demon had turned around, swinging its barbed tail in an arc and smacking him in the side of the head before he could react. He grunted in pain as he fell, his vision going black for a moment.
And then suddenly, Bakura was back in their apartment.
Alone.
-24-
He waited, and it seemed like forever. He knew the demon wanted this, for him to stew, to imagine what sorts of torments they were visiting on Malik as he sat there, unable to do anything, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about it.
He hadn't even yet had time to process the fact that he was stuck in the damn Shadow Realm himself, and now he was alone, separated from his partner, worrying for him, with nothing to do other than think about all the implications of their awful situation.
Every single instance when Bakura had been alone in the apartment for any amount of time—which happened more days than not—the demons had been tormenting Malik, clawing and hitting him, taunting him and showing him disturbing visions, probably forcing him to relive his past.
And it was all because Malik had chosen to stay here in the Shadows. For Bakura.
And Bakura's supposed nightmares involving the demons...they'd been real, he'd really been separated from Malik during those times, suffering in the claws of the demons.
And it would all keep happening, if they couldn't get out of here Malik would be taken from him and tortured again and again.
Malik was being tortured right now, suffering, and it seemed like he'd been gone so long.
As time went on, Bakura started to worry that Malik wouldn't come back, that the demons would keep him and hurt him forever and Bakura would be all alone.
It was impossible, of course. Their magic had to bring him back. The demon had even admitted it.
But they'd been separated for so long now, hours already.
Bakura's many injuries burned with pain, and he knew Malik was being given the same or worse, his body being lacerated and beaten.
And Malik didn't even know what was happening to him. He would be confused and scared and hurting as he relived his past traumas. And there was nothing Bakura could do about it.
Bakura could feel the tension and fear and pain and desolation growing larger and larger in his chest, and he knew he would soon be consumed by it.
Malik was gone, Malik was being hurt, the demons wanted nothing more than to keep them separated from each other and to harm them and they would never stop trying to take Malik away from him and hurt him and if Malik didn't come back...
But then Bakura's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as Malik finally came in the door. Malik slammed the door behind him, his eyebrows drawn together in anger above a black eye. There was a bright red slash across his cheek, dripping blood, and a ring of angry bruises around his neck. He had a troubled look in his eyes, one Bakura could remember having seen many times before when Malik came back to their apartment...to the construct.
Bakura's skin prickled with pain at the sight, at knowing what had just happened to Malik, what had happened to him so many times before.
Bakura ran to him and pounced on him. He couldn't help himself.
Malik stumbled back a bit in surprise, but Bakura just held on tighter, locking his arms around him.
"We have to have sex," Bakura said. He gripped Malik's shoulders urgently. "Now. Right now."
"Woah, woah," Malik said. His arms reflexively came up around Bakura. "What's gotten into you?"
"Now, Malik." Bakura clutched at him, almost clawing him, his eyes fervent. "Please. We need to. Please."
"Okay, okay," Malik said. "It's okay."
Bakura was practically climbing him, trying to wrap his legs around him. Bakura knew he was panicking, knew he was scaring Malik. Normally he never panicked around Malik—at least, not for longer than the split second it took him to wake up from a nightmare and realize Malik was beside him.
But now…
"Fuck me," Bakura said desperately. He looked at Malik with wild eyes, fingers digging into his shoulders. "Please. Now."
"Shh, shh, it's alright," Malik soothed, his hand beginning to rub at Bakura's back in comfort. "Anything you need, okay? Whatever you need."
Bakura let out a heavy breath, dropping his head and closing his eyes. He still clung to Malik, squeezing too tightly, his body twitching with anxiety.
"Bakura?" Malik asked, voice gentle. "Can I put you down for just one second so I can take off my jacket and shoes?" Malik gazed at him with concern, his fingers coming up to stroke Bakura's face.
Bakura swallowed, nodding, and placed his feet back on the floor, forcing himself to back up a bit. Malik made quick work of kicking off his shoes and peeling off his jacket and tossing it on the coat rack. True to his word, as soon as he was done he came to pull Bakura close to him again.
Then Bakura grabbed onto his hand and choked out, "Bedroom. Now."
He pulled Malik along, and Malik followed. Bakura hung onto his hand tightly, not willing to let go of his grip for a second when his back was turned, when Malik wasn't in his direct line of sight.
They made it to the bedroom and stripped their clothes off in a flash.
Malik didn't need to ask what position Bakura wanted, placing him on his back on the bed and then climbing on top of him. But he did ask, "Do you want it fast? Or slow?"
Bakura let out a breath he'd been holding, slipping his eyes shut and wrapping his arms around Malik's shoulders, his legs around his waist. "I don't think it makes a difference how we do it. It will work either way."
Malik gave him a confused look, but didn't question him, instead temporarily disentangling their bodies so he could reach into the drawer by the bed for the lube. He coated his own cock, then Bakura's as well. Bakura watched him, knowing what Malik was doing, knowing Malik could sense that Bakura needed them to be as close as they could get. Malik was slicking Bakura's cock so that Bakura's erection could slide against Malik's stomach when they were pressed together as closely as possible and Bakura could come without being touched, without Malik having to separate their bodies even a bit to slip a hand between them.
It only took a few seconds, but Bakura was already impatient. "Please, inside me."
Malik gave him a soft smile. "Fast, then."
Bakura nodded and then Malik immediately slid inside, drawing a moan of relief from Bakura. Bakura locked his legs around Malik's middle again, tight, and before Malik could begin thrusting he reached down to still his hips.
"Now slow," Bakura said.
"Okay," Malik said quietly, gazing down at Bakura and keeping still.
Bakura looked into Malik's warm violet eyes for several seconds, but then made himself stop so he could look around the room.
The protective magic was there, sparkling golden over every surface, giving everything in the room a look of hyper-reality.
It had worked.
"Bakura?" Malik asked.
Bakura turned back to him, realizing Malik must think it odd for him to be staring off to the side at the wall instead of looking at him.
But he wanted to watch the magic. Needed to.
He put his hand on the back of Malik's head and pulled him down for a kiss. But after kissing him for several seconds, he broke off the kiss and guided Malik's head down so his face was buried in the crook of Bakura's neck, and Bakura looked over Malik's shoulder, staring at the gold and white lights darting across their painted ceiling.
Malik nuzzled his neck and then finally began rocking his hips, but slowly, as Bakura had asked.
Bakura watched the heka, watched as the magic pulsed around the walls, solidifying them. He kept a hand on the back of Malik's head, holding him where he was, while his other hand gently stroked along his back, gracing over his scars.
Bakura realized that now that he knew the heka was there, he could see it so much more clearly. It wasn't just a general feeling of everything becoming more solid and real; he could actually see it happening, see the walls becoming thicker, the objects in the room becoming more substantial. And it wasn't only that the lights glowed brighter, warming him from the inside out; he could feel the heat on his skin, see the tiny golden sparks of magic flitting across the ceiling, circling the painted sun and landing in the glowing stars, and when he turned his head he saw trails of iridescent gold flowing down the walls, illuminating the room.
Bakura didn't know how long he watched all the little golden sparkles, mesmerized.
"Bakura," Malik panted. "Can I...can I speed up?"
"Not yet." Bakura gazed at their magic. "Please."
"Okay," Malik sighed softly.
It went on, Malik rocking steadily between his legs, and Bakura continued to stare at the magic. His hips twitched with his building need, but he wouldn't let himself thrust. He wanted this to last as long as possible, to keep the magic flowing from them for as long as they could.
The pain from Bakura's earlier injuries—the scratches on his back, the welt on his leg, the lump on his head—was completely gone now, and he didn't think the wounds were there any longer. He concentrated on Malik's injuries and imagined them disappearing as he completely opened himself to the comforting smolder of the heka, letting go and allowing its heat to consume him.
He felt the warmth of their magic as it cascaded around them, and he moaned, becoming lost in the feeling of Malik inside him, joined with him, filling him, the weight of Malik's body on top of him, their skin touching in as many places as possible, the two as close as they could possibly be as the radiant magic they were creating enveloped them and protected them.
Malik was moving so slowly, but he was hitting the right spot every time, his stomach creating friction against Bakura's slick erection each time he moved.
More time passed, and eventually Bakura couldn't ignore how his erection was throbbing, becoming desperate for release. But still he stayed still, his only movement the shivers that came over his body every time Malik swayed his hips. He couldn't stand to end the spell they were casting together.
"Bakura," Malik gasped. "I need...need to go faster…"
Bakura's hips bucked against his will at Malik's words. "Please...please not yet…"
Malik let out a low groan of frustration, but he kept the pace sedate.
Bakura continued to gaze at the magic, his fingers clutching in Malik's hair, beginning to pull at it a little, his other hand having to move to Malik's lower back so he could dig his fingernails in, every one of his muscles tensed with his burning desire as he used all of his willpower to keep his hips still.
He could feel every inch of Malik's body trembling with his obvious need. Bakura was quivering himself, needing to move more than he'd ever needed anything...except to keep seeing the magic they were creating.
It was beautiful, and he wanted to watch it forever.
Finally, Malik spoke again. "Bakura...gods, please…" he breathed. "Please, please let me go faster…"
"Not yet," Bakura whispered, voice strained. "Please, just a little longer."
Malik let out a helpless-sounding moan, his body wracked with shudders. Bakura could feel Malik's erection pulse inside him, desperate.
The magic seemed to be getting brighter all the time. Bakura continued to watch.
His erection ached, so close to the brink and so hard it was almost painful. He could feel his insides spasming involuntarily, and heard the desperate whimpers this produced in Malik.
Bakura moaned, low and needy, and Malik echoed him, gripping onto him so tightly it almost hurt.
"Please, please, please, Bakura," Malik begged. "Please, I need, I need...please let me come inside you."
Bakura moaned again, louder now. He couldn't wait any more. Every bit of him was begging for completion. And he couldn't deny to Malik what Malik clearly needed so badly any longer.
Bakura took one last look at the brightness of the heka surrounding them, and then pulled Malik's head up so he could look at him. He saw a white flash of light as their eyes met.
"Yes," Bakura sighed. "Come. Come with me now."
Malik let out a loud groan of utter relief as he dropped his head down to join his lips with Bakura's, and at the same time suddenly pounded into him as hard as he could.
Bakura moaned with abandon, letting Malik swallow the sound as he kissed him, and Malik moaned into his mouth in return. Bakura finally let his own hips move, keeping time with the quick and hard pace Malik was now setting.
It was mere seconds before Bakura exploded in orgasm, and Malik had to break their kiss to scream as he came himself.
Their climax went on, and they began kissing again, riding out the high together, lost in their mutual pleasure.
Finally they wound down, and Malik went limp on top of him.
Bakura drew his arms around Malik's shoulders, squeezing him tightly both there and where his legs still rested over Malik's hips.
"Stay inside," Bakura whispered. "Just for a little while."
"Okay," Malik sighed.
He kissed Malik a little more, both of them sighing in satisfaction. But soon Malik dropped his head back down onto Bakura's shoulder, and a short time later, his breathing evened out and Bakura could tell he was asleep.
Bakura finally rolled out from under Malik, disengaging their interlocked bodies, but he quickly pulled Malik close again afterwards, cuddling into his side.
He wanted to join Malik in sleep. He was dizzy from the magic, almost drunk, and a feeling of peaceful calmness was suffused throughout his body. But he made himself stay awake. He needed to see how long the heka would last.
So he watched it, gazed at it and let it warm and comfort him for more than three hours as it slowly faded and then, finally, began to dissipate.
Once it was gone, he shook Malik awake.
"I can't sleep," Bakura said.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Bakura opened his mouth. He wanted to tell Malik. Tell him the truth about where they really were.
But the warning from the demon echoed in his mind and he snapped his mouth shut again. It had said it would hurt Malik if he tried to tell him. Bakura knew he'd eventually have to figure out a way to get Malik to understand what was really happening. Maybe he could ask him leading questions, like Ryou had with him, and help him to figure it out himself?
He'd have to think about how exactly to do that. But at the moment, he didn't want to consider the problem.
So instead he said, "Um, can we...can we have sex again?"